Relay



J. E. WILLING v Aug. 7, 1934.

RELAY.

Filed Sept. 30 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet J. E. VVILLJPQCS Aug. 7, 1934.

RELAY 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sep. 30, 1931 Fla. 3.

CLX

f/ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES amr Joseph E. Willing,Rochester, N. Y., assigner to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester,

Application September 30, 1931, 'Serial No. 565,939 17 Claims. (Cl.175-335) 'Ihis invention relates in general to relays, and has moreparticular reference to a relay for railway use having special pick-upand drop-away characteristics.

In many cases it is desirable to have a polar neutral relay having aneutral armature either slow to release, or slow to pick up, or both,and with this idea in mind, it is proposed, in accordance with thisinvention, to produce a relay having these characteristics.

More specically, it is proposed to have an inductively energizedretaining winding which operates to retain a neutral armature in pickedup position, when it is already picked up, and to retain it in releasedposition, when it is allready released.

Further objects, purposes and characteristic features of the presentinvention will appear -as the .description progresses, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings, showing, in a wholly diagrammaticmanner, andA in no manner in a limiting sense, one form which theinvention can assume. In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts shown in section, of arelay in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the relay.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary and elevational View, with parts shown insection.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View of the neutrai armature arrangement.

Referring now to the drawings, a relay embodying the present inventioncan include a casing having sides 1, preferably of transparent material,with a base 2 and a top plate 3, al1.con nected together by screws orthe like 4.

Carried by the top plate 3 are two cores 5 and 6, with each corecarrying an upper winding 7 and a lower winding 8. The windings 7 and 8are electrically insulated from each other, but are inductivelyassociated, and instead of being one above the other, may be wound oneon top of the other, if desired.

Also carried by the top plate 3, are two cores .9'and 10, carryingwindings 11, which are connected in series with each other and with thetwo lower windings 8, whereby any current induced in the windings 8flows through the windings 11.

Within the casing 1 is a polar armature 12, pivoted at 13, and operableto actuate an arm and contacts 14, all substantially as shown more indetail in the patent to O. S. Field, 1,749,331 granted March 4, 1930. Y

-Pivoted at 28, is a neutral armature 15, to which is connected anarticulated contact finger 16, having a front contact 17 and a backcontact 18 for respectively cooperating with iixed front and backcontacts 19 and 20, all substanovtially as in the Field patent, abovereferred to.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the neutral armature 15, has connectedto it twoforwardly extending arms 21, of angular form in cross section,and preferably made of aluminum or other lightweight and non-magneticmaterial. To the free ends of the arms 21 is connected a retainingneutral armature 22, which cooperates with poleshoes 23 of the cores 9and 10.

Positioned against the pole shoes 23 so as to bein good magneticconnection therewith,are magnetic bridge members 24 which are of ageneral U-shape in section, and which are held against turning on thepole pieces, by an elon- 4gated channel member 24l and within the loopof which the armature 22 operates.

The two windings 7 are connected in series to an external energizingcircuit, as by wires 25 and 26, while the two lower windings 8 areconnected in series with each other and with the retaining windings 11,as by means of wires 26 and 27.

From the above it follows that upon change of any ux conditions in thewindings '7, a Voltage is induced in the windings 8, to thereby causecurrent to flow through the windings 8 and the retaining windings 11, tomagnetize cores 9 and 10. If the retaining armature 22 be picked up atthe time current ows in the windings 11, these windings tend to retainthe armature in pick-up position. armature 22 be in released position,at the time current iiows in the windings 11, then, due to the bridgemembers 24, there is a tendency to retain the armature 22 in releasedposition.

Thus, on energizing the windings 7, the retaining windings 11 make theneutral armature 15 and its connected armature 22 slow to pick up.Conversely, on de-energization of the windings 7, the retaining windings11 cause the armature 15 and connected armature `22 to be slow torelease.

The bridge members 24, formed otmagnetic material, in eiect carry thepole shoes 23 to a position below the retaining armature 22, whereby thesingle windings 11 are effective to produce pole shoes both above andbelow the armature 22, whereby to -produce a tendency to retain thearmature 22 in whatever position itmay be at the time current changestake place in the energizing windings 7 ofthe relay. i

It is clear that the various parts can be varied in position, size andmaterial to obtain various timings and delay effects without departingfrom the lspirit of this invention.

Furthermore, the above rather specific description of one form of deviceembodying the present invention, has been given solely by way ofillustration, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, in alimiting sense. Obviously, this invention can assume many differentphysical On the other hand, if the forms, and is susceptible of numerousmodifications, and all such forms and modifications, are intended to beincluded by this invention, as come within the scopelof the appendedclaims.

Having describgd my invention, I now claim:-

1. In a relay, n armature, an operating winding for the armature, aretaining winding energized from the operating winding when energized,and means whereby the retaining winding always opposes the action of theoperating winding on the armature.

2. In a relay, an armature, an operating winding for the armature, aretaining winding energized from the operating winding, and meanswhereby the retaining winding retards the pickup, and also thedrop-away, of the armature.

3. In a relay, an armature, an operating winding for the armature, aretaining winding energized from the operating winding, and meanswhereby the retaining winding when energized produces magnetic polesboth above and below the armature to thereby tend to retain the armaturein its then position.

4 In-a relay, in combination with an armature and an operating windingfor picking up and releasing the armature, a retaining winding connectedto be energized upon current changes in the operating'winding, and polepieces energized by the retaining winding and positioned to hinderpick-up and release of the armature.

5. In a relay, a pivoted armature, an operating Winding for thearmature, a retaining winding spaced from the operating winding andarranged to be energized during ilux changes in the operating winding,pole pieces positioned above the armature and energized by the retainingwinding, and pole pieces below the armature and magnetically connectedto the rst pole pieces.

6. In a relay, a pivoted armature, an operating winding for thearmature, a retaining winding spaced from the operating winding andarranged to be energized during iiuxchanges in the operating winding,pole pieces positioned above the armature and energized by the retainingwinding, and magnetic bridge members magnetically connected to the polepieces and extending below the armature.

'7. In a relay, a pivoted armature, an operating winding for thearmature, a retaining winding spaced from the operating winding andarranged to be energized during flux changes in the operating winding,pole pieces positioned above the armature and energized by the retainingwinding, and U-shaped bridge members of magnetic material extending fromthe pole pieces to a position below the-armature.

8. In a relay, a main armature, a retaining armature, elongated spacedrigid angle" members 'of light weight non-magnetic material connectingthe two armatures in spaced relationship, an operating winding for themain armature and a retaining winding having its energization dependentupon the operating winding and positioned to operate on the retainingarmature.

9. In a relay, a main armature, a retaining armature, elongated spacedrigid angle members of light weight non-magnetic material connecting thetwo armatures in spaced relationship, an operating winding for the mainarmature, a r`etaining winding having its energization dependent uponthe operating winding and positioned to operate on the retainingarmature, and pole pieces both above and below the retaining armatureand energized by the retaining winding.

10. In a direct current relay, in combination, an armature, an operatingwinding for the armature energizable with direct current, a retainingwinding energized from the operating winding, and means whereby theretaining winding retards the pick-up, and also the release, of saidarmature.

11. In a direct current relay, an armature, an operating winding for thearmature, a retaining winding energized from the operating winding,andmeans whereby the retaining winding retards the pick-up, and also thedrop-away, of the armature.

12. In a direct current relay, an armature, an operating winding for thearmature, a retaining winding energized from the operating winding, andmeans whereby the retaining winding when energized produces magneticpoles both above and below the armature to thereby tend to retain thearmature in its then position.

13. In a direct current relay, in combination with an armature and anoperating winding for picking up and releasing the armature, aretainingl windingy connected to be energized/upon current changes inthe operating winding, and pole pieces energized by the retainingwinding and positioned to hinder pick-up and release of the armature.

14. In a direct current relay, a pivoted armature, an operating windingfor the armature, a retaining winding spaced from the operating windingand arranged to be energized during iiux changes yin the operatingwinding, pole-pieces positioned above the armature and energized by theretaining winding, and pole piecesbelow the armature and magneticallyconnected to the rst pole pieces.

15. In a direct current relay, a pivoted armature, an operating windingfor the armature, a retaining winding spaced from the operating windingand arranged to be energized during ilux changes in the operatingwinding, pole pieces positioned above the armature andenergized by theretaining winding', and magnetic bridge-members magnetically connectedto the pole pieces and extending below the armature.

16. In a direct current relay, a pivoted armature, an operating windingf or the armature, a retaining winding spaced from the operating windingandA arranged to be energized during flux changes in the operatingwinding, pole pieces positioned above the armature and energized by theretaining winding, and U-shaped bridge members of magnetic.materialextending from the pole pieces to a position below the armature.

1'7. In a direct current relay, a main armature, a retaining armature,4elongated spaced rigid angle members of lightweightnon-magnetic-material connecting Athe two armatures in spacedrelationship, an operating winding for the main armature, a retainingwinding having its-ener gization dependent upon the operating windingand positioned to operate on the retaining armature, and pole piecesboth above' and below the retaining armature and energized by theretaining winding.

JOSEPH E. WILLING.

